Nine in ten people living in the countryside haven't seen a police officer for a week

Nine in ten people living in the countryside have not seen a police officer in their local area in the last week, research has found.

The startling findings were revealed in a survey of those living in rural areas which painted a damning picture of crime in the countryside.

Rural crime including thefts, burglaries and fly-tipping cost an estimated £43.3million last year with thefts of agricultural vehicles remaining stubbornly high at a cost of £9.1million.
Now, a survey of 3,000 people by the Countryside Alliance has found that seven in ten people have reported an increase in crime over the last 12 months.

Almost half of people - 48 per cent - also said they had felt intimidated by criminals or criminality over the last year.